One poor woman was carrying her child and its head was crushed by a piece of timber. It did not even whimper, yet she carried the dead infant at her breast for three long hours before it was torn from her grasp. When one sees the debris piled twenty feet high, in many places on the backbone of the island—that is, along Q street, running east and west—and when one sees the broad prairies for miles and miles covered with the wreckage that came from Galveston across the bay, the wonder with him will be that anything out on the waters that fearful night escaped to look, not tell, the story of that fearful night. For few can tell it; all look it.
Something of the strength of the winds and waves can be known when it is stated that along the beach at Texas cities I saw dead turtles even. Fish floated dead in the bay. They may have come from some wrecked fishing smack, and I am inclined to take this view of it, but there they were, covering a large space with their dead bodies. There were thousands of rats floating about. I saw even dead snakes along the shores. The chickens which lined the beach along the mainland were entirely denuded of their feathers. Not a buzzard or bird was to be seen. Not a mosquito was heard. The wind had carried all winged things away.
Down in some parts of the debris the planks and beams and sills of houses had been thrown together with such force that they were driven into each other and made as solid a mass as the most skilled workmen could join two pieces of timber. The foreman of one of the working gangs said it was impossible to remove certain portions of the mass except by clipping it away with axes or by burning it. If such a wind had struck Dallas or any other town in the State, it would not have lasted a moment.
Another thing I have been asked by the people of the interior was why the resort to the ocean as a burial ground was had, and why burning was afterward resorted to. When day broke after that night of horror, the people could not realize the immensity of their woe. It required but a short time for them to know it. The first on the streets were the first greeted by the corpses.
They fled hither and thither, wringing their hands. Others stood still and stared in a dumb way. Some cooler citizens suggested that the bells be rung and the people assembled to grapple with the situation. And lo, there was not a bell in town to sound the alarm. It was suggested that the steam whistles be blown. And lo, there was not a whistle with steam to give it note on all the island. Then they went up and down the streets, crying, “Fall in, people; for God’s sake, fall in.” They got a few people together in this way. As they had gone about, more corpses appeared.
THE NUMBER GROWS LARGER.
What should be done with them? Strange to say, the suggestion was made that inquests must be held on the bodies and the law complied with. But the corpses began to grow larger in number. Inquests now were no longer discussed. Those who could work began to gather the dead bodies and carry them to the undertaker shops. There was confusion, but all were doing their best. The purpose now was to place the dead in coffins. But the number increased. The idea was abandoned because, simply, it could not be done. Seven hundred putrid bodies were piled up in the building. Something must be done.
Then it was suggested that they be taken to the sea. The substitute was offered that they be burned. But where burn the latter? It could be done on the beach where the debris was, but how get there? Every street running across the island to the beach was blocked. The substitute suggestion was abandoned. But how get the bodies to the sea? Then it was that the law was laid aside.
Martial law was declared in fact, whether according to law or not. Men armed themselves and went on the streets in posses. They captured negro men and forced them to take hold of the bodies. Whisky was poured into them—argument was made to them. They were nauseated with the work, but more whisky was poured into them. They piled the bodies on floats and drays and every kind of vehicle and thus took them to the wharf.